@MacDougall said:
We need a clutch player. Like a Brett Stewart, Greg Inglis, Darren Lockyer last minute roll the dice and come up sevens type. As it is the Benji Lawrence combo goes okay in that regard. I could really see Ayshford stepping up tbh.
THURSTON.
If we are serious in our recruiting we should be after one of the best when theyre available
Thurston tests the water in Sydney
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* By Peter Badel
* From: The Sunday Telegraph
* December 13, 2009 12:01AM
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Johnathan Thurston
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Moving on…Johnathon Thurston appears to be keen to relocate to Sydney. Source: The Daily Telegraph
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JOHNATHAN Thurston has held secret talks with Sydney clubs in the most definitive sign yet the Cowboys superstar is considering quitting North Queensland.
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Thurston held preliminary discussions with at least two clubs last week during a stopover in Sydney. While no figures were discussed, Thurston's decision to sound out potential suitors underlines the battle the Cowboys face to keep the Test No 7 beyond next year.
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Thurston spent four weeks holidaying in Europe before flying to Sydney to attend Danny Green's fight with Roy Jones Jr. Off-contract at the end of 2010, Thurston has been repeatedly linked with his former club, the Bulldogs, and has received a $1.1 million offer to play rugby in Japan.
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Thurston's manager Sam Ayoub confirmed the meetings but refused to reveal the identity of the clubs. "Johnathan did have some discussions with some interested parties in Sydney," Ayoub said. "I won't name any clubs, if they wish to do so that's their prerogative, but Johnathan is determined not to play this contract out in the public arena. There is a lot of interest, but we didn't talk numbers and there were no formal offers. It was more a case of Johnathan weighing up his options."
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While Thurston has made it clear he will test the open market, Ayoub said the Cowboys skipper would prefer to have his future sorted by the season kick-off in March.
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North Queensland remain confident they can outbid any rival for Thurston. Cowboys executive director Peter Parr has spent three months sourcing third-party sponsorships and is set to table the most lucrative deal in the club's 14-year history, worth around $500,000 a season.
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The 26-year-old is seeking a term between two to four years. Ayoub met Parr last week, and insists Thurston will give the Cowboys every opportunity to retain him. "Ideally Johnathan would like to settle his future before the start of next season, but if he does that he might be ignoring some opportunities that might come later in the year," Ayoub said.
